7 July 2011

MentoringAcross Generations

SpeechwritingTips from the Pros

www.toastmasters.org Say Goodbye to Your Script

Reap the rewards of intergeneration collaboration

®

July 2011

2 TOASTMASTER Ju ly 2011

V I E W P O I N T

� “If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.”These profound words of sir Isaac Newton speak to how easily we can moveinto the future when supported by our predecessors.

John of salisbury, in the 1100s, touched on this very concept in his writing:

We’re like dwarfs sitting on the shoulders of giants.We see more, and things that are more distant, than they did,Not because our sight is superior or because we are taller than they,But because they raise us up, and by their great stature add to ours.

During the very early days of my Toastmasters experience, a membernamed eric approached me with supportive and encouraging comments. I immediately felt raised up by his words, by his encouragement and inspiration. At that moment, he planted the seeds in me for achieving greatness within Toastmasters.

Although I share this particular example, I feel overwhelming gratitude fora host of helping hands, wise words and shared opinions that have lifted meup so I have been able to imagine a different future. These always-accessibleadvisors and mentors continue to allow me to stand on their experienced andstrong shoulders. And I know they will be there into the future.

What about you? Who in your life holds you to a new and challenginglevel of achievement? Who gives you a reputation to live up to rather thandown to, and then holds you accountable for your development andprogress? Who has made a difference in your life as a result of their wordsand actions? These individuals may have supported you while you were run-ning for office, working on a speech or preparing to be Toastmaster for thefirst time. Do you recall what they said and did? They have affected not justyour Toastmasters life, but your entire life.

Today we stand collectively on the shoulders of the thousands of memberswho have gone before us and brought us to today. May we always rememberthose pioneering giants who have been strong stewards and have worked tomake a difference in our world through their vision, communication andleadership.

Toastmasters International is a fertile field for finding your giant. We are surrounded by strong role models who have already done what we aspire todo. They provide those shoulders on which we can stand in order to see whatwe haven’t yet been able to. They open our eyes to our own unique greatness.

PublisherEditorAssociate Editors

Junior WriterEditorial AssistantArt DirectorGraphic Designer

Daniel Rex

suzanne Frey

Beth BlackPaul sterman

Jennie Harris

Michelle Tyler

susan Campbell

Deidre Gaffney

International President

International President-Elect

First Vice President

Second Vice President

Immediate Past President

Executive Director

Secretary-Treasurer

Pat Johnson, DTMVictoria, British Columbia, Canada

Michael R. Notaro, DTMAlameda, California

John Lau, DTMKuching, Malaysia

George Yen, DTMTaipei, Taiwan

Gary schmidt, DTMClackamas, Oregon

Daniel RexMission Viejo, California

sally Newell CohenMission Viejo, California

emmy Hager, DTMeverett, Washington

ASSIGNED TO REGION 1

Ken Cawley, DTMstockton, California


Kevin Doyle, DTMHonolulu, Hawaii


Pamela McCown, DTMPasadena, Texas


Jacquie schnider, DTMCalgary, Alberta, Canada


Ron Kirchgessner, DTMGreenwood, Indiana


Gina Cook, DTMKanata, Ontario, Canada


Heath suddleson, DTMPotomac, Maryland


Pamela Christopher, DTMUnion Grove, North CarolinaASSIGNED TO REGION 8

David Hollingshead, DTMJacksonville, FloridaASSIGNED TO REGION 8

susan Dalati, DTMManotick, Ontario, CanadaASSIGNED TO REGION 9

Roberta Perry, DTMLos Angeles, CaliforniaASSIGNED TO REGION 10

Theo Black, DTMWayzata, MinnesotaASSIGNED TO REGION 11

Mike storkey, DTMAirlie Beach, Queensland, AustraliaASSIGNED TO REGION 12

Keith Ostergard, DTMBeijing, ChinaASSIGNED TO REGION 13

Christine TembliqueMeycauayan, DTMPhillipinesASSIGNED TO REGION 14

TOASTMASTER

The TOAsTMAsTeR Magazine (IssN 00408263) is published monthly byToastmasters International, Inc., 23182 Arroyo Vista, Rancho santa Margarita,CA 92688, U.s.A. Periodicals postage paid at Mission Viejo, CA and additionalmailing office. POsTMAsTeR: send address change to The TOAsTMAsTeRMagazine, P.O. Box 9052, Mission Viejo, CA 92690, U.s.A.

Published to promote the ideas and goals of Toastmasters Inter national, anon profit educational organization of clubs throughout the world dedicatedto teaching skills in public speaking and leadership. Members’ subscriptionsare included in the $27 semi annual dues.

The official publication of Toastmasters International carries authorizednotices and articles regarding the activities and interests of the organization,but responsibility is not assumed for the opinions of the authors of other articles. The TOAsTMAsTeR magazine does not endorse or guarantee the products it advertises.

Copyright 2011 Toastmasters International, Inc. All rights reserved.Repro duction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.Not responsible for unsolicited material.

Toastmasters International, The TOAsTMAsTeR, and the ToastmasterInter national emblem are trademarks of Toastmasters International registeredin the United states, Canada and many other countries. Marca registrada enMexico. Printed in U.s.A.

Printed on Recycled Paper

TI OFFICERS AND DIRECTORSFounder Dr. Ralph C. smedley (1878-1965)

2010-2011 OFFICERS

2010-2011 DIRECTORS

TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONALP.O. Box 9052 • Mission Viejo, CA 92690 U.s.A.

(949) 858-8255 • Fax:(949) 858-1207Voicemail: (949) 835-1300

www.toastmasters.org/members

CONTACTING WORLD HEADQUARTERS

For information on joiningor building a club, visit: www.toastmasters.org

Article submission: [email protected]

Letters to the Editor: [email protected]

To change address,log in to: www.toastmasters.org/members

Pat Johnson, DTMInternational President

A Tribute to Giants

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TOASTMASTER Ju ly 2011 3

A Toastmaster’s PromiseAs a member of Toastmasters International and my club, I promise . . .

� To attend club meetings regularly;� To prepare all of my speech and leadership projects to the best of my ability,

basing them on projects in the Competent Communication manual, AdvancedCommunication manuals or Competent Leadership manual;

� To prepare for and fulfill meeting assignments;� To provide fellow members with helpful, constructive evaluations;� To help the club maintain the positive, friendly environment necessary for all

members to learn and grow;� To serve my club as an officer when called upon to do so;� To treat my fellow club members and our guests with respect and courtesy;� To bring guests to club meetings so they can see the benefits Toastmasters

membership offers;� To adhere to the guidelines and rules for all Toastmasters educational and

recognition programs;� To maintain honest and highly ethical standards during the conduct of all

Toastmasters activities.

Speechwriting Tips from the Pros Facing writer’s block? Take the advice of expert speechwriters.By Dave Zielinski

PAGE 8

IntergenerationCollaborationReap the rewards of mentoring across age groups.By Maureen Zappala, ACS

PAGE 16

You’ve Got Guests How to turn nervous club visitorsinto eager club members.By Craig Harrison, DTM

PAGE 24

& 2 Viewpoint: A Tribute to Giants By International President Pat Johnson, DTM

4 Letters to the Editor

5 My Turn: Singing a Winning TunePuerto Rican club uses music andmovies to inspire its members. By the Puerto Rico Toastmasters club

6 Courage in Japan How Toastmasters in Japanare rising from the destruction. By Beth Black

12 Say Goodbye to Your Script! Rely less on speech notes and more on structure. By Robert A. Richert, DTM

14 The Strength of a Story Wake up your audience by telling tales. By Dennis Brooke, ATMG

19 Generations Working Together Fostering a club culture of collaboration. By Misti Burmeister

20 Finding Tweeple Twitter + People = FUN! By Jeff Bailey, CL

22 Golden Gavel Recipient: Robin Sharma Announcing Toastmasters’ 2011 Golden Gavel Recipient.

23 Postcards: The Traveling Toastmaster

28 Making the Most of Club Officer Roles Three leadership opportunities at the heart of every club. By Dee Dees, DTM, PID

30 Funny You Should Say That: Peace Out, Dude What does your teen mean? By John Cadley

ARTICLESDEPARTMENTS

FEATURES

July 2011Volume 77, No. 7

New this month! Be sure to flip through the new interactive digital edition of the Toastmaster at magazine.toastmasters.org. AvailableJuly 1, the new flipbook version will allow you to share articles with friends and download them to your smartphone or digital reader.

LETTERS


No Horsing AroundMy compliments to James ArthurAnderson for his article “LessonsLearned from My Horse” (February).This is actually three articles in one.Replacing the words “communica-tion” and “audience” with “leader-ship” and “followers” throughout thearticle gives us a new perspectivewith the same outstanding message.Going further, using the words“author” and “reader” adds anotherview of the same quality message.Thanks for an excellent article.Dick Moser, DTM • Columbia Center and American Red Cross clubsPortland, Oregon

Straight Talk About StutteringIn “Have Faith in Your Voice”(April), Ben Decker, writing aboutthe film The King’s Speech, suggeststhat the king’s stammer “likelystemmed from his autocratic father .. .who was fond of yelling: ‘Just get itout!’” Nothing could be more remotefrom the scientific truth. The latestresearch shows that stuttering has astrong genetic and neurobiologicalcomponent and is not caused byparental behavior. Even commonsense dictates this. If the theory weretrue, how come the king’s brothernever started to stutter?

In fact, millions of kids have beenshouted at, but none developed stut-tering; and millions of people whostutter have not been shouted at, butthey still developed stuttering.

I’d like to thank Toastmasters for providing me with a safe learn-ing environment in which peoplewho stutter can learn to speak –and yes, even stutter – without fear. Dr. Tom Weidig, CC • Green Heart Club • Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

Vietnam and the Vietnamese are eager to open new Toastmastersclubs while learning about theToast masters experience. George Hamilton Main, ACB, CL • Renaissance ClubSan Francisco, California

Shy Speaker SaysThanks . . . and MoreI was so relieved and excited to see the April issue of theToastmaster arrive in the mail.

I am the youngest and shyestmember of my Toastmasters club,and I have struggled through threespeeches. I was scheduled to givemy fourth speech a week afterreceiving the magazine.

I felt as if the articles in the Aprilissue were meant just for me! Afterreading them I felt the confidence Ineeded to speak better. I still have alot of work to do, but I just wantedto say thanks for helping me on myjourney to become a better speaker.Amy Zwirner • Hobe Sound Toasters • Hobe Sound, Florida

Kudos for Clever CadleyJohn Cadley’s column, “Funny YouShould Say That,” is always a refresh-ing read. Keep those clever commentscoming! I value the laughter.Mary Z. McGrath, ATMG • Saturday Morning Live ClubNew Richmond, Wisconsin

An Appealing SandwichI just finished reading Julie BawdenDavis’s article “Lessons Learned . . .and Shared!” (May) and I found it quite inspiring. When it comes to speech evaluations, avoid givingsweet, fuzzy, watered-down feed-back. Rather, use the “sandwichapproach” – state what the speakerdid right (glow), what the speakercould improve on (grow) and, finally,inspire and encourage the speaker tokeep going (glow). We use this tech-nique at my club and it really helps.Martha A. Moore, DTM • GVSU (Grand Valley State University) ClubAllendale, Michigan

Approaching Cultural DiversityI wanted to express how much I enjoyed the article from FlorenceFerreira about bridging cultural and linguistic gaps (“What CulturalLenses Do You Wear?” February).The ethnic communities in NewZealand are growing strongly, asthey are through out the world, and I found the article very in -teresting. The writer did a great jobexplain ing the differences and howto approach these situations.Martin Pouwels • Flying Start Club • Auckland, New Zealand

Seeing the Big PictureI recently read “What Cultural LensesDo You Wear?” Ms. Ferreira did agood job treating this subject; I espe-cially like the examples she provided.Toastmasters is an international orga-nization, but each member’s experi-ence will be based on the composi-tion of the club. I think we still havea long way to go in our understand-ing and tolerance of others’ culturesand languages (“accents”). Articleslike this will provide a lesson for a broad audience.Lianne Gayle, ACS • Columbians Toastmasters Club • Beltsville, Maryland

Article Speaks to Members in VietnamI wanted to compliment you for producing valuable content in the February issue; I especiallyenjoyed Florence Ferreira’s article, “What Cultural Lenses Do You Wear?”

I have returned from visits tothe Intel Vietnam Toastmasters and Saigon Toastmasters clubs inHo Chi Minh City, Vietnam. In bothclubs, the officers had copied anddistributed Ferreira’s article. In theIntel club, acclaimed Canadianblogger Joe Ruelle spoke on how a person from Vietnam can presentto a Western audience while beingmindful of Vietnamese social cus-toms and Westerners’ expectations.

Do you have something to say?Write it in 200 words or less, signit with your name, address andclub affiliation and send it to [email protected].

Singing a Winning Tune!CC to ACG. However, we want to raise our own bar: Our goal is to produce 30 designations in the 2010-2011 year. The Puerto Rico Toastmasters

club is an oasis in the middle of thedesert. Even after a long workday,

our members show up to rechargetheir batteries. This is the place tobe if you want to keep your mindtuned to uplifting and empoweringmessages and ideas.It has long been said that Toast -

masters is a laboratory. This isexactly what we promote: Trythings in our club and implementthem outside the club. Within theclub meeting walls, we are students;outside in the real world we areexperts and masters of our owncraft. We are indeed champions!

The Puerto Rico Toastmasters club islocated in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico.For more information, you can visitthe club’s Facebook page (facebook.com/prtoastmastersclub) or emailclub president Elbia Quiñones, ACG,ALB, at [email protected].

T

year. The message: Nothing canstop this train in the movie andnothing can stop Toastmasters from attaining their goals! Recently, we showed the trailer

for the movie Limitless, with RobertDe Niro, to reinforce the samepoint: Toastmasters havethe inner strength toachieve whatever they set out to pursue. Welook for lessons in filmsand try to adapt them toour club program. Themovie tactic has provedto be powerful, particular-ly since it keeps members of all ages engaged and interested.In fact, “Movie Night”

was the theme for one ofour recent club meetings.Members came dressed as a character from theirfavorite film, and the Table Topicssession revolved around film trivia.We decorated the room like a movietheater and served popcorn, candyand soda. We also have “Achievement

Nights.” These meetings are held inspecial locations to add variety to ourprogram. We recognize every memberachievement and the entire member-ship as a whole. If you show up, wehave something for you: gifts, awards,certificates or verbal recognition.Our club currently has 39

members, and there is plenty ofsuccess to celebrate. We masterthe Disting uished Club Program,tracking our progress during regu-lar and executive meetings. In thefirst half of the 2010-2011 year, ourmembers achieved 22 individualeducational designations – from

Puerto Rico club uses music andmovies to inspire its members.

� In the Puerto Rico Toastmastersclub, we love to celebrate our suc-cesses. We love to see our mem-bers grow, stretch and achieve theirgoals. To that end, we use a varietyof fun and creative strategies – from showing film clips to hosting“Achievement Nights.”For the 2010-2011 year, we

played a positive, exhuberant rock ’n’ roll song (“We Are theChampions” by Queen) at clubmeetings to exemplify what wewant to communicate: a powerfulbelief in members’ ability to suc-ceed. Every time one of us achievesan educational designation during aclub meeting, we play the song asthe member is pinned. (It is storedin one of our club member’s com-puter and iPod, and we bring a setof small speakers to each meeting.) We acknowledge the member

immediately after he or she deliversthe manual project speech that quali-fies them for that designation. Every -one sings the song and applauds theperson, recognizing the hard workhe or she put in to meet the project’sgoals. This boosts self-confidence.The Puerto Rico Toastmasters club

uses other innovative tactics to pumpup our members. For example, weshow trailers from popular movies.The one- or two-minute movie snippets highlight particular clubthemes; typically, we’ll send a clip toour members before an upcomingmeeting – via Facebook or Dropbox –and we also play it at the beginning of the meeting. We showed the trail-er for Unstoppable (starring DenzelWash ington) as a way to inspiremembers to reach the “TripleCrown” – achieving three Toast -masters educational awards in a

July 2011 TOASTMASTER 5Photo courtesy of the Puerto Rico Toastmasters

The Puerto Rico Toastmastersclub celebrates its successes.

MY TURN

6 TOASTMASTER July 2011

By Beth Black

Courage in JapanSurvival in Sendai One town, Sendai, made headlinesaround the world for the devasta-tion. The Sendai Toastmasters clubwas caught in the middle whennews reports on the extent of thiscrisis lent credence to the possibilitythat the club might have been deci-mated. Fumiko Yoshimura, presi-dent of the Sendai club, reported in an email to Toastmasters Inter -national that the club was indeedaffected powerfully at first.

Fortunately for the club, themeeting location was not in the area destroyed by the tsunami.However, the earthquake struck a blow to the building that housedtheir meetings. “The short-termeffects of the March 11 disasterwere our club’s inability to meet for about two months,” writesYoshimura. “The building where weusually meet was damaged in thedisaster.” They have resumed meet-ing and expect attendance to climb,again, as members and guests returnto more normal activities.

Courage to Continue in District 76 Akira Ishido, of the Sendai Toast -masters, struggled through severeprofessional challenges. His job typ-ically requires that he help peoplein crisis situations, but the demandsin this situation – aiding survivors –proved nearly unbearable. Ishido isa police officer who works for theCommunications Command Divisionin Miyagi. “We, the police, have hada hard time both mentally and phys-ically coping with the disaster,” he

March 2011 began as usual in Toastmasters’ District 76.The contest season had

arrived and clubs across Japan spentthe early part of the month deter-mining who would move up to thearea-level competitions. Members’thoughts were turning to the springdistrict conference scheduled to takeplace in Tokyo two months later.But on Friday, March 11, at 2:46p.m., everything changed. A magni-tude 9.0 earthquake struck, trigger-ing a tsunami that destroyed muchof the east coast of the country. Bynow this is not news to most of theworld. But it is worth noting howToastmasters in the vicinity respond-ed to the challenge of their lives.

Throughout the crisis, Toast -masters around the globe watchedin horror and then in hope thattheir fellow members – and commu-nities – would survive and rebuildwhat they had lost.

At first, the messages comingfrom Toastmasters in Japan weresimple – focused on their need tosurvive and meet basic needs. Insubsequent weeks, however, a larger picture emerged. Members in Japan talked of the comfort andstrength they derived from the sup-port of other Toastmasters. Membersfrom around the world reached outto them with messages of supportand even gifts of clothing and food.

Lending a VoiceMarie-Josee Brassard of the SendaiToastmasters club in Sendai, Japan,contacted Toastmasters International

soon after the events of March 11 to share what had happened to her home country of more than 20years. She related how she helpedin recovery efforts. Five days afterthe quake, Brassard gathered a fewdays’ worth of supplies and went to work as a volunteer for the Multi -lingual Support Center for the TohokuEarthquake in Sendai, Tohoku,Japan. Her communication skillsplayed an important role.

“I helped foreigners who neededinformation on how to get backhome, how to look for missing per-sons and how to protect themselvesagainst the radiation,” she wrote.

Brassard contacted Toastmasters in the cities of Tokyo and Yokohamato determine ways she could send aid to the most devastated areas of theTohoku region. She accomplished agreat deal while facing acute demandson her personal strength. She dealtwith the media and found her Toast -masters training put to a test.

“I have been in contact with a reporter from Radio FranceInternationale,” wrote Brassard. “On two occasions I was asked togive an account of the situation. Mylittle expose was not perfect, but Ithink I would have made any AhCounter proud. The second time thereporter called me, I felt as though allthose years of sweating during theTable Topics session paid off, and myskills finally came through for me.”

As days rolled into weeks, moreToastmasters contacted World Head -quarters with reports on their lives,clubs and ongoing struggles.

How Toastmasters in Japanare rising from the destruction.

Photo courtesy of Takako Osawa

July 2011 TOASTMASTER 7

Takako Osawa, CC, president of the KesennumaToastmasters club, stands in tsunami-inducedwreckage in Shishiori, Kesennuma.

wrote in April. Nevertheless, he’sworked hard to keep communica-tions smooth with colleagues andused his Toastmasters skills to shareinformation with the public.

Life is slowly improving forIshido. He was able to take part inhis division speech contest held inTokyo after the disaster and wasdeeply moved to discover howmany Toastmasters around theworld sent supportive and encour-aging messages to the people in his home region of Tohoku.

A Bond of Ancestry Japanese Toastmasters share a connection with some District 4members in the United States. TheSan Francisco Japanese-EnglishToast masters club, also known as SF JETs, is a bilingual club that meets at the Japan Society of Northern California, in down -town San Francisco.

When disaster struck in Japan, thisclub and its host organization felt anunsettling connection, both emotion-ally and physically: While these indi-viduals worked to accept the magni-tude of what had happened acrossthe Pacific Ocean, the San FranciscoBay Area came under a tsunamiwatch and the local governmentordered an evacuation of low-lyingcoastal areas. Club President KenBoyer described their experience in an email to Toastmasters Inter -national. “SF JETs held our regularlyscheduled meeting on Friday, March11th – the day of the earthquake,” he says. “With the time zone differ-ence, the Japan earthquake hadoccurred during the California morn-ing. JETs members were trying toverify the safety of friends and familyin Japan, including in the worst-affected areas in Sendai.”

The coincidental timing did provide one benefit. “We quicklydecided to have our meeting asscheduled, in order to lend support

safety of members in the disaster-stricken areas and sending infor-mation about them; members whoare offering helping hands to thesuffering members. Yes. We areToast masters. “Helping each other”is our spirit.

That Toastmasters spirit provedvaluable and real for several mem-bers in the days following the initialevent. Mako Watanabe, a veteranmember and past president of theSendai Toastmasters, says that clubmembers took on leadership rolesin the community to help with dis-aster recovery, including volunteer-ing at the evacuation camps.

Sendai RebuildsYoshimura, the Sendai club presi-dent, is positive about the long-termoutcome for her group. “I am notworried, because our club is filledwith dynamic members who haveparticipated in many contests, wonmany awards and participated inthe many Toastmasters events,” she wrote. “We are blessed to have seasoned members who guide us with experience.”

Beth Black is an associate editor ofthe Toastmaster magazine. Reachher at [email protected].

T

to each other in person and toexchange information,” Boyer says.Quickly, the San Francisco groupand its sister club, the Silicon ValleyJETS (SVJETS), worked out plans to aid friends and relatives in Japan.“The earthquake and tsunami in -spired our club here in the U.S. to reach out to clubs in Japan. Wewanted to see how they are copingand we wanted to extend our sup-port,” Boyer wrote. Through thisexperience their bond was madeeven stronger.

District 76 ReboundsDistrict Governor Seiko Matsumoto,DTM, worked with her team toupdate plans for the spring districtconference, which had to be movedfrom Tokyo to Kyoto due to after-shocks, electricity outages and otherproblems. When informing themembers of the change, Matsumotochose to include encouraging anduplifting words. On the District 76website, she posted the following:

At present, District 76 is facingthe unprecedented threat caused bynatural disasters. I am, however,amazed by the heart-warmingbehavior among members in theirown ways: an area governor and amember making efforts to confirm


Start from the Finish LineMost of us have heard this time-honored advice about the beginning phases of writing a speech:Diligently research audience needs and then craft an “elevator speech” or short summary; then buildcontent that meets those needs. Yet like a teenagerignoring Mom’s advice to shut off the Xbox and return to his homework, speakers still tend to ignore those fundamentals.

While not every speech you write will call for soaringrhetoric or ringing phrases, its success or failure will stillrest largely on the underpinnings of strong writing andediting skills. Unlike politicians, CEOs or celebrities,Toastmasters don’t have professional speechwriters attheir beck and call. To help you craft winning presenta-tions, we interviewed some top speechwriters to identifywhat makes speech scripts memorable, and how toeffectively put fingers to the keyboard.

ust as actors are only as good as the quality of their scripts,

speakers can only sway audiences if the words they write

prove compelling and credible when spoken. The ability

to write persuasively for the ear is the essence of good

speechmaking. Yet given how PowerPoint’s bulleted text blurbs have

grown to dominate organizational presentations, it’s also something

of a dying art.

Ju ly 2011 TOASTMASTER 9

Pete Weissman, who joined Toastmasters when heworked as a speechwriter in the U.S. Senate, also wrotespeeches for the CEO of the Coca-Cola Company andworked in the West Wing of the White House beforestarting his Atlanta-based speechwriting and communica-tions firm. Weissman says one of the best things you cando to achieve focus before starting the writing process isto ask yourself this question: If a reporter were to writean article about my speech, what would the headline be?

“Throughout the research process you’ll gather a lotmore information than you can ever use in your speech,so having that desired headline in mind will help youfocus and filter information,” Weissman says.

Similarly, one of the most effective tactics to use in crafting speeches – especially those includingPowerPoint slides – is to heed author Stephen Covey’sprinciple of “starting with the end in mind,” believes Jim Endicott, head of coaching firm DistinctionCommunication in Newberg, Oregon. To that end,Endicott has his clients create the last slide in theirPowerPoint decks first, asking them to use three keypoints or less, and not exceed one line of text per point.

“The exercise helps create a laser focus on what youwant the audience to think or believe differently at the

end of your speech,” Endicott says. “That concludingslide becomes the litmus test for how you measure therest of your content, ensuring everything in the body ofyour speech drives toward those concluding points.”

Nick Morgan, president of the speech coaching firmPublic Words and author of the book Trust Me: FourSteps to Authenticity and Charisma, uses a relatedmethod. He tells his clients to begin the speechwritingprocess by creating a one-sentence summary of whattheir talk is about.

“Everything that relates to that summary goes into the speech script, and things that don’t are left out,”Morgan says. “I think one trick of great speechwriting is knowing what to leave out. That kind of focus onyour key message also is a good way to save time when writing speeches.”

Create Audience-Centric MessagesWeissman says addressing an audience’s pain points –issues that may be keeping them up at night – early in a speech is the best way to corral their attention. “If you want to hold an audience’s attention, you eithermust be wildly entertaining, like someone jugglingflaming sticks, or be absolutely essential,” Weissman

Facing writer’s block? Take theadvice of expert speechwriters.

By Dave Zielinski


says. “The way to make yourself essential is to addressthe biggest problem or need of the people sitting in the room, and to mention you’re going to do so at thebeginning of your speech.”

For example, if you’re speaking to prospective home-buyers struggling to find mortgages, you might includethis early on: “In my experience, I’ve learned a few waysto overcome challenges in the credit market, and that’swhat I’ll share with you today.”

Morgan also says the old expression, “Tell ’em whatyou’re going to tell ’em, tell ’em, then tell ’em what you told’em,” doesn’t hold up well with today’s impatient or skepti-cal audiences. The saying emerged from World War II andwas a good model for briefing soldiers required to stand atattention and listen, but it lacks a key element, he says.

“It should also tell them why you are about to saywhat you’re going to say,” Morgan says. In other words,audiences want to know why your content is importantto them before they will invest time listening to you.

Tricks of the TradeThe pros concur on one of the biggest challenges inspeechwriting: Don’t put on the “critic’s hat” too early in the creative process. You’ve likely been there: You’vefinished writing your opening lines, paused to re-readthem, then started feverishly editing or deleting becauseyou were unhappy with your efforts. Twenty minuteslater you’ve made little progress.

Speechwriters say it’s important to discipline yourself to write a first draft all the way through without getting tooself-critical at this stage of the process. All good speech - writing, it seems, is rewriting. And until you have enoughwords on the screen and have let your copy “go cold” for a sufficient amount of time, you can’t effectively return tostart honing, reorganizing or “wordsmithing” your content.

Toastmasters Past International President Gary Schmidt,DTM, is a believer in letting a first draft flow like anopened fire hydrant. Schmidt currently works as publicaffairs manager for Clackamas County, Oregon, where hewrites speeches for public officials. He also is a formerspeechwriter for two U.S. senators from Oregon.

“If I’m writing an initial draft and think I have to edit a sentence, I just push through instead of stoppingto rework it,” says Schmidt. “The key for me is to keepthe keyboard moving or I’ll get stuck. Later, I’ll give afirst edit to the draft, put it away for a while, then come back to it with fresh eyes and edit again.”

Given the importance of speech openers, Schmidtsaves that segment of a speech for last, a practice shared by many of his peers. “I’ll typically write thebody of the speech first, write the conclusion and onlythen come back to the opening,” he says. Having finished the rest of the speech helps him add clarity and punch to the opener.

While it can be easy to think you’re alone in strug-gling with a blank computer screen, creating good tran-

sitions between key pointsor writing a killer opening,the reality is you have plenty of company. In arecent international survey of frequent presenters conducted by DistinctionCommuni cation, speakerswere asked, “What do youfind to be the most chal-lenging part of creating anddelivering a presentation?”

The top response was “putting together a good messageso my presentation flows and connects well.”

The pros aren’t immune from these same struggles.The difference is they’ve learned to discipline themselvesto work through the worry or temporary lack of creativeinspiration. “Once I hit upon the big idea or big meta -phor for a speech, the rest of the script or message startsto click,” says Weissman. “But it often can feel like I’mwandering around in the dark until I come across thatbig theme.”

Professional speechwriters also are constantly inresearch mode, their antennae up for interesting quotes,facts or studies that might be a good fit for a speech,whether it be next week or an unknown event down theroad. “I always have a quote file going,” says Schmidt. “I keep an electronic file where I add ideas as soon asthey occur to me. I keep clips, links to websites andother information that might be of use in speeches.”

Weissman also has an ongoing idea file and recentlybegan experimenting with EverNote (evernote.com), anonline tool that enables you to “clip” news articles, Webpages, photos, research studies and the like. Everythingcaptured is automatically indexed and made searchable.

“It’s very helpful to ‘virtually’ store all of the interest-ing bits and pieces you regularly come across,”Weissman says.

“If I’m writing an initial draft and think I have to

edit a sentence, I just push through instead of

stopping to rework it. The key for me is to keep the

keyboard moving or I’ll get stuck.”

– Gary Schmidt, DTM, Toastmasters Past International President


Writing for the Ear Versus the EyeWhat separates speechwriting from other types ofwriting is a need to write convincingly for the ear versus the eye. Writing for a listening audience ratherthan a reading one demands a different approach,requiring that you work harder to create visual imagesand craft phrases or stories that stand out in the mindsof listeners. Writing for the ear often means usingshorter sentences, contractions and simpler language,professional speechwriters say. In short, it meansbeing more conversational in your writing style.

“Writing for the ear requires continually honing your sen-tences, looking to create parallel construction, artful repeti-tion and other techniques that can elevate language so yourwords become stronger when spoken,” Weissman says.

Schmidt says writing well for the ear takes practice, but studying some of the great speakers – and better yet,acquiring copies of their scripts – can help speed yourlearning curve.

“Toastmasters groups are great for emphasizing thataudiences aren’t reading your speech, they are hearing

you speak it,” Schmidt says. “The choice of language,and how you organize content, is different because theear has to understand it immediately. An audience doesn’thave the luxury of saying, ‘Hey, could you go back andsay that again? I didn’t quite understand it.’”

In writing for others as well as himself, Schmidt haslearned the importance of writing the way you speak.“The worst sin in speechwriting is not using the kinds ofwords or phrases you might use in everyday conversa-tions,” he says. “I can think of some presidential speech-es that were beautifully written and read, but in the endyou were left thinking, ‘That really didn’t sound like him;that’s not the way he speaks.’ That lack of authenticitycan diminish your authority as a communicator.”

Developing Messages for PowerPoint PresentationsIt’s also important to develop content in a way that is“audience-centric instead of speaker-centric,” Endicott says.“The number one thing audiences wonder is, ‘Will thispresentation be relevant to my life and the issues that

(Continued on page 15)

Think your life isn’t the source of good stories?By Dave Zielinski

Memorable stories are the lifebloodof any good speech, but too often

Toastmasters feel they don’t have goodstories to share from their own lives. Instead they believe compelling tales are reserved only for professionalspeakers, comedians or naturally gifted storytellers.

As a result, novice speakers – feeling a need to include stories in their speeches – often include hackneyedtales or parables taken from books or other sources. In short, they resort to using other people’s stories.

It needn’t be so, say professional speechwriters.Presentation skills coach Nick Morgan relates the experience of working with a human resources executive on a speech for an industry conference. “The speech was about setting and achieving goals, andfor three weeks she kept telling me she didn’t have any good stories to help make her point,” Morgan says.

As the speech date approached, Morgan met with his client one night and she looked upset.When askedwhat was wrong, she said it was the anniversary of her father’s death, and proceeded to recount how her dad,a janitor, was extremely proud that she was the first in the family to get a college degree and continue to graduate school. Late in the process of pursuing her Ph.D., she learned her father was diagnosed with inoperable cancer. During an emotional phone call, her dad told her he would live long enough to see her gether doctorate. He lived up to his promise, and died a week later.

“I looked at her and said, ‘You’re writing a speech about setting and achieving goals. You told me you didn’t have any stories, but you just told me one of the more powerful stories I’ve ever heard on thattopic,’” Morgan says. The client included the story in her speech and it became one of the most highlyrated presentations of the conference.

“No person, no speaker, no family is without its stresses and strains, and those travails can be the sourceof great teaching or inspirational stories,” Morgan says

MANNER OF SPEAKING


struggle to maintain a connection tothe audience while trying to readextensive notes. Instead, I advocateusing an outline for standardToastmasters speeches.

Here are the most common prob-lems associated with speaking froma complete script:

� Your head bobs up and down ina distracting manner.

� You lose your place, stumble andthe speech becomes disjointed.

� Your vocal variety is stifled, espe-cially when your head is down.

� Your gestures are restrainedwhile your hands shuffle notes or you’re reading.

� The above problems can makeyou more nervous.

A common misperception, espe-cially among new members, is that tobe properly understood a Toast mastermust communicate every word of aspeech in a precise manner. Yes, in

When it’s his turn to give a speech, formerFounder’s District

Governor Ken Sisco, DTM, alwayscomes to meetings prepared with a fully written-out script. I’ve beenamazed at his ability to deliver aspeech fluently, without revealinghis use of detailed notes. Once hesteps up to the lectern, Ken hasapparently memorized his speechand the pages of notes becomesuperfluous. He seems to be one of those rare people with a photo-graphic memory.

However, Ken says, “I don’t mem-orize my speeches nor do I have aphotographic memory. I simply pre-fer to spend my time putting thewords together, rather than rehears-ing the delivery. I have perfected theart of reading my speech withoutappearing to do so. Most Toast -masters can’t do that.”

Ken is correct – he is the excep-tion to the rule. Most members

certain professions and situations,precise wording is essential to publicspeaking – for example, prominentpoliticians, instructors, lecturers,speech contestants at the upper levelsof competition and professionalspeakers. However, rarely do theseexamples apply to club meetings.

Audiences retain at best about 10percent of the words in any speech.People will remember the mainmessage of a speech if it is deliveredin an organized and effective way.However, speaking from writtentext invariably inhibits speechdynamics – eye contact, vocal vari-ety and gestures – that form yourphysical connection to the audience.

A Personal ChoiceWhile most experienced Toastmastersdistill their thoughts into outline form,some speakers begin by writing outtheir speeches word for word. Thismethod enables them to better orga-nize and remember the speech. Judy

By Robert A. Richert, DTM

Say Goodbye to Your Script!

Rely less on speech notesand more on structure.


Murphy, DTM, member of LilydaleClub in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia,follows this approach. “It’s my way ofknowing that I have the right amountof material and that all the ideas flow,”says Murphy. “Once I am satisfiedwith the script, I map out the speechin my mind. Rehearsal is a must. Onthe day of the speech, I just remembermy main points and I can lose thenotes entirely. On the occasions whenI haven’t had sufficient time to prac-tice, I write out main ideas in bulletpoints in a large font and have themon the lectern to the side.”

To new members strugglingthrough their first few speeches, talkabout subjects you care about andknow well. This will make prepara-tion easier and delivery more com-fortable, plus boost your confi-dence. I’m mentoring a new clubmember, Michelle Phung, who isVietnamese – English is her secondlanguage. She explained to me thather second speech would be abouther grueling experiences as a “boatperson” when she and her familyescaped the fall of Saigon.

I recommended that she speakfrom an outline because she knewher story so well that following adetailed script was unnecessary. Ialso pointed out that reading thispoignant story from her notes mightmake her appear insincere and stifleher passion. However, Michellesaid, “I need to write out my speechbecause it helps me with structure,organization and makes me feelmore comfortable with Englishwords and sentences.” When shegave the speech, she brought herscript but did not read from it at all.

Steps to SuccessHow to create an outline? Begin bythinking about your main message,writing ideas down and then startorganizing and prioritizing the materi-al. Subdivide it into three or so mainpoints for a five- to seven-minutespeech. Decide which facts, anec-dotes, quotations or jokes to includeand which to leave out, and roughly

how much time to devote to eachmain segment. Hone your speechinto outline form on a note card orsingle sheet of paper. Replace fullywritten text with trigger words orphrases. Allow single words, phrasesor pictures to generate in your mindthe concept or story you have pre-pared and rehearsed earlier.

For better clarity and quickeraccess to the correct place on youroutline, use the computer to employcolors, varied fonts, indentation andspacing to help guide your eye.Visually oriented people respondmore quickly to a simple picture orsymbol than a phrase. Ultimately,trust in your natural ability to for-mulate the right words and speak in a coherent manner.

Know Their PurposeIf you must convey a quotation orinformation precisely, then by all

means write it down in your notes,but also practice and commit it tomemory. Here’s a tip: Picking up acard, reading a brief quotation andthen putting the card down caneffectively punctuate the rhythm ofyour speech. It also communicatesto the audience that the quotation isimportant. Reading a brief quota-tion, though, is only effective ifused once or twice in a five- toseven-minute speech.

If you intend to convey quantitiesof technical, statistical or detailedinformation, make use of visual aidsor handouts as an alternative to awritten script. PowerPoint slides or aflipchart may also serve as an effec-tive replacement for written notes.They help you to stay on track andeliminate the problem of constantlylooking down at notes placed on thelectern. Even so, these aids should

act as an adjunct to your oral presen-tation, not a crutch. Don’t just readthe text on your slide; leave that forthe audience. Instead, expand uponthose words.

Discovering GoldMike Meier, DTM, of the Seoul Ad -vanced Toastmasters in Seoul, SouthKorea, won the District 25 Inter -national Speech Contest in 2008.“When I started out as a Toastmaster,I would not allow myself to do aspeech without detailed notes,because I was scared the speechwould not come out right or I wouldforget something,” says Meier. “How -ever, one night when I was sched-uled to give a speech, I accidentallyleft my script at my seat! To my sur-prise, my speech went well!”

Meier’s technique evolved fromthat experience. “Ever since then, I vowed to use a half sheet of

paper at the most for a few notesand key points. The speech comesto life when you are able to liftthe text off the paper and tell astory people will truly remember.One of my speech mentors oncesaid, ‘Whatever comes out of yourmouth is golden. No one knowsyou lost your place in your speechunless you tell them.’”

By focusing on improvingspeech dynamics instead of read-ing precise wordage, you willbecome more charismatic. Youraudiences will better connect withyou and be more eager to hearyour message.

Robert A. Richert, DTM, has been aToastmaster for 25 years. He belongsto the Helmsmen Toastmasters clubin Huntington Beach, California.Reach him at RichertArt.com.

T

“The speech comes to life when you are

able to lift the text off the paper and tell

a story people will remember.”


The Strength of a Storything important: When it comes tocapturing the attention of an audi-ence, there is strength in a story.

Mention “The Tortoise and theHare,” “The Trojan Horse” or “TheGood Samaritan,” and people fromcultures all around the world canrepeat these millennia-old storiesand the lessons they teach us. Anyassociated statistics, facts or papyrusflip charts associated with thesetales have long been forgotten.

To recover from my pre-lunchspeech flop, I decided to draw ontwo stories related to business rela-tionships. I recalled a situationwhen I was in high school and hadattended a national leadershipcourse. One of the speakers wasPaul Garber, who founded theSmithsonian Air and Space Museumin Washington, D.C. The next year I was in that city to visit the muse-um with a classmate from the lead-ership course. On a whim we calledMr. Garber to tell him how muchwe enjoyed his talk. He invited usto lunch in the Smithsonian staffdining room, where he told us stories of the early days of flight,including not-so-well-known anec-dotes about the Wright Brothers.

I also drew on a story from abook I had recently read, You Callthe Shots by Cameron Johnson. As

My ship was on the reef,snapped in two like a drystick; I was face down in

the boxing ring and the referee wasabout to count “Ten.” In short, myspeech was bombing – big time.

How could I, an experiencedToastmaster, flop so miserably? I hadresearched my topic – building busi-ness relationships – made sure it wasrelevant to the audience and practicedmy delivery. But halfway through myspeech to the local high school group,

it was clear that I was not capturingtheir interest. It didn’t help that ajunior heckler was competing with me for the audience’s attention.

To gather material for my presen-tation, I talked with executives atthe aviation-technology companywhere I worked as a program man-ager. They offered suggestions fromtheir experiences in the businessworld. Their ideas were terrific, andI wove them into relevant, humor-ous and interesting points – or so Ithought. When the time came to

deliver the 40-minute speech at theregional conference for the FutureBusiness Leaders of America, it didn’t take long to see that the onlything between my teenage audienceand lunch was me, and they’d justas soon go straight to lunch. Myquestion-and-answer sessions areusually lively, and I had reserved 10minutes at the end of this particularspeech for Q&A. I could havereserved 10 seconds and still hadtime to spare.

Getting a Second ChanceUsually when a performancebombs, the speaker doesn’t have a chance to try again anytime soon.They get to stew for weeks or evenmonths about what they could havedone better. However, I had aunique opportunity: I was sched-uled to deliver the same speech toanother group at the conferenceafter lunch. This gave me an hourto revamp it so that the encore per-formance wasn’t a repeat disaster.Fortunately, I remembered some-

Wake up your audience by telling tales. By Dennis Brooke, ATMG

“The only thing between my teenage

audience and lunch was me, and they’d just

as soon go straight to lunch.”


an 8-year-old, Johnson had been abig fan of the movie Home Alone 2,much of which was filmed at New York’s Plaza Hotel, owned by Donald Trump. Johnson and his parents planned a stay at thePlaza, and he wrote a letter toTrump asking if he could see thehotel suite used in the movie. Whenhe arrived at the hotel, he foundthat Trump had received his letterand arranged for him and his parents to stay in that very suite.Trump set him up with VIP treat-ment during his stay in New YorkCity simply because he wrote a letter making a simple request.When I delivered my post-lunch

version of what was basically thesame speech, I used both the Garberand Trump stories to emphasize howtaking risks in business relationshipscan pay off. Unlike my earlier rendi-tion, this talk inspired a lively Q&Asession, captured the attention of theaudience and even generated a fewfollow-up fan notes.

Fred Rogers, host of the children’sshow Mister Rogers’ Neigh borhood,graciously taught him how to learnabout client needs. When I pub-lished a blog article on the subject,“Mister Rogers and Project Manage -ment,” it was picked up by an inter-national blog and widely repeated. I was sure to give credit for the storyto Carl Pritchard, who sent me a nicenote on the posting.Facts, statistics and other support-

ing material have their place in thewritten and spoken word. But wrap-ping them around a relevant storycan help engage your audience andgive your message staying power.Next time you’re called on to delivera speech, remember the lesson Ilearned the hard way: There isstrength in a story.

Dennis Brooke, ATMG, is a memberof Auburn Morning ToastmastersClub in Auburn, Washington. Readmore of his work and contact himat dennisbrooke.com.

T

When you’re developing yourspeech, remember the strength ofstories and follow these tips:

1Collect stories. Keep notes aboutexperiences of yourself or others

that contain important lessons.Sometimes I’ll use these anecdoteseither as the center of a speech or anarticle, or to supplement the subject.A small pocket-size notebook, or thenotes function on a smartphone,make it easy to save ideas.

2Be relevant. When you use astory, be certain that it applies

to the subject at hand. Don’t betempted to talk about somethingthat doesn’t relate to the lesson.You may amuse your audience forthe moment, but you’ll leave themscratching their heads as they strug-gle to make the connection.

3Borrow from others. Don’t beafraid to use the experiences of

others. I often use a story told byCarl Pritchard about how the late

cause me sleepless nights?’ Too often, sales presentationsin particular become a 45-minute solution in search of aproblem to solve, rather than addressing a prospect’s keyproblems or needs up front.”If you’re using PowerPoint or other design software,

the first clue as to whether you’ve put your audience firstis your presentation’s title slide. Endicott says a bad titleslide might read like this example: “Productivity andEfficiency Tools for Your Assembly Line.” A better versionwould read: “Helping You Drive Higher Productivity &Efficiency from Your Assembly Line.”Bad visuals can destroy good speaking skills, Endicott

says, and less is always more when it comes to using texton PowerPoint slides. Consider applying the seven-secondrule to your visual content. “Never put more on a slide than you can visually process in seven to eight seconds,”Endicott says. “This will cause you to constantly distill downmessages to the very essence of what you want to say.”Other experts stress that PowerPoint should be used

as a prompt and not a teleprompter. “Too often the audi-ence is forced to play a horrified game of PowerPointbingo, wondering if the speaker is going to say every sin-gle word on every slide,” Morgan says. “That makes them

wonder, ‘If they are going to read every word, I can prob-ably read them faster, so why is the presenter even here?’”Speakers should strive to include more compelling

visuals on slides – thought-provoking photos or well-designed graphics – and rely more heavily on speaker’snotes the audience can’t see to provide spoken contextand connective tissue between slides, Morgan says. “Imagine what a movie or a TV show would be like

if they simultaneously ran the script down the side of thescreen – ‘here’s an explosion’ – like you often see with allof the speech text included on PowerPoint slides,” Morgansays. “It would destroy your enjoyment level. So whywould you do that in a speech?”Endicott says most plane crashes happen on takeoff

or landing, and the same holds true for speeches – partic-ularly the landings. “Most presentations today end simplybecause the speaker runs out of slides, not because they’vetaken time to craft a well-conceived, well-articulated closing,” he says.Speechwriting is often the most overlooked and under-

valued part of the speechmaking process. But if you getthat important first step right, you’ll be amazed at how oftenthe rest of your speaking experience falls into place.

Dave Zielinski is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to the Toastmaster.

T

Speechwriting Tips From the Pros(Continued from page 11)

Intergeneration

ollaborationCBy Maureen Zappala, ACSReap the rewards of mentoring across age groups.


If you are aware of generational differences and learn the best way to work with people of variousages, you not only enhance the culture of your club or company, you also become a stronger andmore versatile communicator and leader, says MistiBurmeister, a Toastmaster and an expert on gen era-tional diversity. As founder and CEO of Inspirion, she helps businesses overcome com m unication

barriers and better understand their em ployees and customers.

“Seasoned professionals have the experience andknow ledge, while young professionals are explodingwith enthusiasm, a fresh perspective and a desire to learn.Imagine what’s possible when the two respect and valueone another!” says Burmeister, who is the author of FromBoomers to Bloggers: Success Strategies Across Generations.

What is the age range of the members in your Toastmasters club? In my club of 30

members, the youngest is about 25 and the oldest is over 70. Quite a spread! People of

all ages are drawn to the personal development opportunities in Toastmasters. Whether

you were born in 1982 or 1922, you can experience the richness of intergenerational

relationships when you mingle and learn from each other.


Four Generations DefinedThe generations in many clubs might be divided into four groups. Those born between:

1922–1945 1946–1964 1965–1980 1981–2000

Contest and she won, beating the previous district winner! She was thrilled, and so was I.”

In his desire to help, Chu completely diminished the distraction of age difference.

Ask any Toastmaster who has mentored someone and they’ll tell you: Mentoring makes you a betterleader. With generational diversity, leadership requiresunderstanding. Burmeister says, “When we understandwhy people react the way they do, we can let go ofjudging them and remain focused on the mission –pulling people into their greatness,” says Burmeister, a member of two Toastmasters clubs in Maryland.

Isn’t that the role of a leader . . . to pull people intotheir greatness?

People of different ages respond, desire and aspiredifferently, and a leader should seek to understand that. Carol Kormelink, age 78, a member of three Toast masters clubs in Ohio, is a three-time DistinguishedToastmaster (DTM). She says, “I learned to listen to [our members’] needs, not to what I think they needed.For instance: the author of a 4th grade science bookjoined our club to get comfortable speaking at her book signings. She had lots of ‘ahs’ that I thought she shouldeliminate. But at her book signing, I saw her dramaticscience experiments. I realized that the crowd was soawed by the experiment that all her ‘ahs’ would notkeep them from buying her book. She left Toastmasterswhen she met her goal of feeling comfortable withspeaking in public. Even though she didn’t meet mygoal of conquering her ‘ahs,’ she met hers, and had a successful Toastmasters experience.”

Kormelink, who falls in the most senior age group inher club, personifies the helping/serving attitude charac-teristic of her generation. But her mentee, quite a fewyears younger, demonstrated characteristics of her gener-ation by being more focused on increasing financialsecurity through higher book sales. Once they under-stood each other, the relationship flourished.

How to Bridge the GapHere are four specific things you can do in your club toinvolve people of different age groups more effectively:

Finding the Win-WinWhat is possible is indeed exciting. Jenilee Grabenhorst of Stark Community Toastmasters in Canton, Ohio, is 29years old. She joined Toastmasters at 24 and fast-trackedher way to DTM in less than three years. She employs thatsame positive attitude as a mentor to members of all ages.

“Growing up, I was taught I could do anything,” saysGrabenhorst. “All I had to do was believe I could, and Iwould [do it]. I take that approach when I mentor otherToastmasters. It’s easy to share my knowledge. My pas-sion is contagious! A mentee will quickly adjust an ‘it’simpossible’ attitude when there is an energetic, ‘anythingis possible’ mentor behind them.”

Jamie Suter, of the Kettering Toastmasters club inKettering, Ohio, discovered a mutually beneficial aspect to her mentor relationship. “When I joined Toastmasters, I was 27 and my mentor was twice my age, soon to be aDTM. He mentored me on the structure, the how-tos andthe history of Toastmasters. I mentored him on technologyand new manuals (such as the then-new CL manual). Heencouraged me to take on officer roles and participate incontests, and I mentored him on all of the newer Toast -masters features, like the websites, extra learning modulesand how to promote the club using social media.”

Avoiding PitfallsIntergenerational mentoring as described by Suter happensall over Toastmasters, and most often it’s positive and fruitful. But when the age difference between mentor and mentee is significant, there may be a tendency tofocus on or be distracted by that difference. Reducing thedistraction must be a priority in order to cultivate a richmentoring environment. Burmeister says, “Learning is criti-cal throughout our careers. Having an honest interest inhelping each other achieve a specific result creates unity,diminishing the distraction of generational differences.”

At age 47, Danny Chu, a member of Xerox XeroidsToastmasters in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, wasmentoring a 23-year-old female club member who wasoften reluctant to speak. Chu says, “A year after joining,she had only done two CC manual speeches. I con-vinced her to compete in our club’s Humorous Speech


1Understand the differences between the generations.Conduct research to learn more about generational

characteristics. Generations are defined by the com-mon social, political, economic, geographical and cul-tural influences that shaped the people of that particu-lar time. Over the last century, the world has seenextraordinary changes that have influenced genera-tions in different ways, creating clear distinctions inhow each generation responds to life. Being educatedabout why people do what they do will only empoweryou to be a better mentor.

2Clarify expectations. This is essential in any mentor-ing relationship, but especially when age is a factor.

Allow your new club members to have a part in choos-ing a mentor. If they prefer, let them see who they inter-act well with after several weeks of club meetings, and

if they’re comfortable with someone from a different age group. Then make a mentoring assignment. AngieKey, DTM, a member of Lennox International Toast -masters in McKinney, Texas, offers excellent advice:“Encourage your new mentor/mentee pairs to formalizetheir relationship with a face-to-face discussion. This will make it clear what a mentor actually does (I hadone new member who expected the mentor to helpthem write their speeches!) and how they’ll communi-cate. Have a checklist of what to cover during this meet-ing and let the new member and mentor sign it whenthey’re done – like a mentoring contract.”

As in any relationship, clear expectations go a longway to eliminate conflict and misunderstanding.

3Be flexible in your communication. Each generationcommunicates differently. Those born between 1922

and 1945 prefer written communication. Those bornbetween 1946 and 1964 tend to prefer face-to-face meet-ings. The next generation grew up with microwaves andremote controls, and prefer efficiency and directness.The youngest generation prefers texting and socialmedia. Each group prefers different feedback styles aswell. Happy with a job well done, older members don’t

need a lot of recognition. Middle-aged members appreci-ate titles to identify their accomplishments. Those bornat the onset of the information age need ongoing feed-back and affirmation. The young professionals want pur-pose in their lives and need to see their role in a biggerpicture. Be flexible and willing to adjust.

Anthony Kung, 44, of Prospeak Club in Garland, Texas,has mentored many Toastmasters who are both older andyounger than himself. He observes, “I find there is adegree of enthusiasm that I need to bring to the youngermembers that I don’t with the older ones. For the olderones, simply sharing knowledge and feedback seems to beenough for them to feel like they are receiving somethingvaluable. For the younger Toast masters, I find that I haveto add extra emotion, and speak their lingo before they areinspired to make improvements.”

Kung understands the importance of being flexible, and like all good Toastmasters, of understanding his audi-ence. Be willing to try something new, such as texting.

4Realize that experience counts more than age. Peoplewant guidance from those who have been where

they want to go. It’s tempting to assign an older memberas a mentor, but that may not be the best choice. Ageisn’t the factor … experience is. Salman Al Fardan of theBahrain Toastmasters club, in Hammad Town, Bahrain,says, “Traditionally, mentoring is done from a seniorposition. I do not see a problem of cross-age mentoring,but the seniority (experience) in Toastmasters is prefer-able to enforce Toastmasters culture and credibility.”

He makes a good point: Experienced Toastmastersare instrumental in preserving and promoting the mission of the organization. And – depending onyour group – the member with the most Toastmastersexperience may be the 23-year-old.

A Good Habit to HaveGenerational differences create a treasure of opportunity!Remember that regardless of age, everyone wants to beappreciated and included, respected and understood. Makeit a habit to seek to understand people of different agegroups, and watch what happens. Not only will your clubflourish, but you will be a better and more fulfilled leader as a result. Imagine what’s possible!

Maureen Zappala, ACS, ALB is a member of theIndependently Speaking club in Independence, Ohio,and Westside Advanced club in Westlake, Ohio. She was a finalist in the 2009 World Championship of PublicSpeaking. Contact her at [email protected].

T

“Make it a habit to seek to

understand people of different age

groups, and watch what happens.”


HOW TO

By Misti Burmeister

and build relationships with talent-ed professionals from many genera-tions – in a supportive, safe andlow-stress environment. ThroughToastmasters, you learn how to:

Value Their Voices: You cannoteffectively lead a team of peopleyou do not know. Communicatingwith professionals from a range of generations requires understand-ing them – their struggles and chal-lenges, how they experience life,what’s important to them and whatexcites them. Toastmasters providesan environment in which leaderscan get to know and learn frompeople of different generations.Once they’ve built relationships,leaders can even ask the youngerToastmasters for advice on chal-lenges they face at work with mem-bers of other generations. They cantake what they learn into the work-place and use those conversations tounderstand, motivate and retaintheir employees.

Value Your Voice: Young profession-als have fresh, innovative ideas that arehelpful on a variety of levels, like inno-vation and suggesting creative ways toappeal to their demographics. But theirvoices are often drowned out becausetheir communication styles don’t matchthose of senior executives. By develop-ing relationships with seasoned pro-fessionals in Toastmasters groups,younger members learn from the oldermembers’ communication styles, whichin turn helps them develop their ownvoices and confidence.

In Toastmasters, I sometimes seeyoung professionals who join hop-

When corporate executivesface an aging workforcethat’s nearing retirement,

they want to attract and retain youngemployees while motivating the olderones to mentor them. This is an areawhere business leaders who are alsoToastmasters have an advantage.

As an expert in generationalissues, I’ve been approached by corporate leaders who ask for aone-size-fits-all approach to mot ivat-ing employees. I could suggest several perks that appeal to mostworkers, but the answer to theproblem – fostering a culture of collaboration and information-sharing across generations – isn’t as simple as that. Research shows thatemployees, regardless of age, willwork harder and stay with the com-pany longer if they feel valued andtrust their leaders.

The key to retaining and motivat-ing employees is to make them feelthat their voices are valued. In theend, leadership boils down to com-munication. For leaders to be effec-tive, they must learn how to inspireand motivate professionals of differ-ent generations. This means gettingto know them, listening to them andlearning how to communicate inways that resonate.

That’s where Toastmasters helps. Whether you’re a youngprofessional trying to get yourvoice heard in the boardroom oran experienced leader trying to getyoung professionals to care abouttheir jobs, Toastmasters gives youthe opportunity to communicate

ing to learn how to present theirideas in ways that get companyexecutives to take them seriously.What a brilliant use of Toastmasters!Seasoned executives can help themin a mentoring relationship, offeringfeedback to help strengthen theircommunication styles. For instance,with many young professionals,enthusiasm often comes across as impatience or immaturity to seasoned executives. A Toastmastersmentor might explain that enthusi-asm is a great tool, just not neces-sary in all circumstances. YoungerToastmasters can benefit from listen-ing to what’s important to the peo-ple in charge and using that infor-mation to focus their ideas.

For some, getting heard in theboardroom may require work: Theymust value their voice enough to do a bit of research and prepare theircomments in advance. Likewise, beingan effective leader requires communi-cating your vision in a way that makesmembers of every generation feelthrilled to be part of your team.

What is the first step to com m u-nicating across generations? Buildtrust and credibility through relationships!

Misti Burmeister is the author of theWashington Post best-seller FromBoomers to Bloggers: Success Strat -egies Across Generations. She is amember of the Speak Always WithConfidence (SAIC) club and the APL(Applied Physics Laboratory) club,both located in Maryland. Reach herat [email protected].

T

Generations Working Together

Fostering a club cultureof collaboration.


TECH TALK

Finding TweepleIrecently used my cell phone tosolve a real-life television mystery.Celebrity chef Rick Bayless stars

in the show Mexico – One Plate at a Time, where he talks about cookingMexican food. Bayless grows veg -etables on the roof of his famousChicago restaurant, Frontera Grill,but he doesn’t explain how to growrooftop veggies – and I had to know.

Enter Twitter. Using the search feature, I

quick ly found his Twitter username(@Rick_Bayless) and became a fol-lower. One tweet was all it took to getmy answer. Today, I grow vegetablesjust like he does. I don’t think that Iwould be doing it without Twitter.

You have the same opportunity.Do you want to ask Bill Gates(@BillGates) about his foundation?You can. Do you want to laugh?Follow funnyman Tim Siedell at@BadBanana. Do you want toknow what American businessleader Jack Welch is thinking?Follow him at @jack_welch.

Finding Folks to FollowNow that you’re on Twitter, you’llwant to find Tweeple – that is, peopleon Twitter. Twitter makes this easy.There is a “Who to Follow” section onits main Web page. The names listedthere are based on things such as yourlocation and who you currently follow.If you see someone who looks inter-esting, click the “Follow” button to theright of their username.

The Twitter search feature is agreat way to find people who arediscussing things that interest you.After finding them, don’t immediate-ly join the conversation – observefor a while. Once you understandthe flow of things, jump in withboth feet. You’ll be ready to meet“tweeple” like these:

Presenters at the 2011 ToastmastersInternational ConventionArrive at the Convention early – and then make the most of it whileyou’re there by following these con-firmed Convention presenters:

@Toastmasters – This is the Twitteraccount of Toastmasters International.Be sure to keep up with the latestnews and organization updates fromWorld Headquarters.

@Santojcosta – Sandy Costa,author, business leader and Toast -master, dips into his 40 years ofleadership experience to share stories and advice to help peopleimprove their personal and profes-sional lives.

@Sindymartin – Sindy Martin,DTM, an expert on personal brandand generational differences, can“Smartin’Up” your professionalismand etiquette know-how.

@LaughLadyDiva – Linda Henley-Smith will help you “lose the excus-es” so that you can accomplish yourgoals in life.

@transitionman – Accreditedspeaker, Johnny Campbell, DTM,shares important things about theAccredited Speaker program.

By Jeff Bailey, CLTwitter + People = FUN!


@Darrenlacroix – Lacroix, the2001 World Champion of PublicSpeaking, will show you how tospeak outside of Toastmasters forfun, profit and club-building.

@Comediandan – Stand-up come-dian and Toastmaster Dan Nainanwill perform for the audience at theopening night ceremony.

@RockStarSystem – Craig Duswaltexplains how to achieve Rockstarstatus in your industry.

@ByronEmbry – Toastmaster ByronEmbry, a former professional baseballplayer, discusses how to protect your -self from assaults on your character.

@_robin_sharma – Golden Gavelrecipient and leadership expertRobin Sharma will speak at theConvention.

@davelogan1 – Dave Logan willinspire you with his keynotespeech, “Tribal Leadership: How to Build a Thriving Organization.”

Public Speaking and Leadership@BertDecker – Bert Decker is thefounder of Decker Communicationsand the author of You’ve Got to be Believed to be Heard, an out-standing book on communicating to influence.

@DrNickMorgan – Morgan is a presentation coach who wrote one of my favorite books on public speaking, Give Your Speech,Change the World. When I was a Toast masters club president, Iused to buy this book and give it to new members. He routinelytweets presentation tips.

@maxatkinson – Dr. Atkinson is aUnited Kingdom researcher, consul-tant and public speaking coach. Heis a thought-provoking individualwho offers many good tips aboutcommunication.

@MartinShovel – Martin Shovel is acommunications expert, speechwriter,animator and blogger from theUnited Kingdom. He is highly interac-tive and his animations are a treat.

@maniactive – Laura Bergells, whopossesses a great sense of humor,tweets and blogs about “the art +creativity of presentation.”

@LisaBraithwaite – Braithwaite is apublic speaking coach who helps herstudents build skills and confidence.

@scottmckain – Scott McKainwrites about all things related toleadership. He is also an outstand-ing public speaker.

@MichaelHyatt – Michael Hyatttweets about leadership-related topics, and he has a stellar blog.

@MarionChapsal – Marion Chapsalis a leadership blogger based inFrance. She also is very interestedin public speaking.

@StephenRCovey – Covey hashelped countless people and organizations worldwide learn the power of his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

@lizstrauss – Liz Strauss offersinformation on brand strategy and leadership. She’ll help you find ways to connect with potential members.

@tom_peters – Peters tweets dailyand offers expert advice on corpo-rate leadership.

@Leadershipfreak – Dan Rockwelloffers many great tips on leadershipand reaching higher goals.

@J_Canfield – The co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul bookseries has plenty to say about setting goals and reaching them.

@ProfessorGary – Gary Schirroffers practical advice on creativityin business.

@mwbuckingham – Do you knowyour strengths? Best-selling authorMarcus Buckingham, a formerToastmasters Golden Gavel recipi-ent, shares valuable information.

@KevinEikenberry –Eikenberry, aformer Toastmaster, offers tips tohelp you become even more re -mark able in your supervisory role.

@MeredithMBell – Bell offersencouragement and thought-provoking quotes to help you stay on track in your personaldevelopment.

Social Media, Marketing and Blogging @ChrisBrogan – Chris Brogan is a noted blogger and speaker. He is very responsive to questions.

@ThisIsSethsBlog – Seth Godin is one of the best bloggers on theInternet. If you don’t read hisblog, you should. He tweets links to his blog.

@problogger – Darren Rowse is anAustralian blogging institution. Heknows it all and shares.

@waltmossberg – Mossberg, a technology columnist for The Wall Street Journal and co-execu-tive editor of allthingsd.com,offers expert opinions on ... all things digital.

@Pistachio – Want to learn moreabout Twitter? Laura Fitton is thefounder and CEO of oneforty.com,a website devoted to Twitter andbusiness. She also co-authoredTwitter for @Dummies.

Have Fun!This should give you enoughinformation to get started. Re -member to have a good time. The tweeple described in this article are popular or growing in popularity, and they often“engage” with their followers,meaning that you can send tweets and receive a response.Sticking with Twitter is a surefireway to meet some very nice people,and it is a great learning experience.

If you have any questions, feelfree to contact me on Twitter.

Jeff Bailey, CL, a former Toastmaster,is a computer consultant and trainer in Cary, North Carolina. Reach him on Twitter at @Jeff_Bailey or visit his Twitter home page attwitter.com/Jeff_Bailey.

T


world. “I had lost a clear sense ofthe vision and values instilled inme as a child and was no longerdriven by any mission or passion,”he says. “I made the difficult deci-sion to pull back from the noise ofmy life and reinvent the way I wasliving and leading.”Sharma self-published his first

book, MegaLiving, at a print shopin the early ‘90s. It was edited by his mother, and he stored afew hundred copies in his kitchen.His second book, an allegory titledThe Monk Who Sold His Ferrari,was originally self-published. Even tually, a major publishingcompany’s president discovered it in a bookstore and took over its publication. Through his website,

robinsharma.com, and confer-ences such as “The RemarkableEntrepreneur SuperConference” heldin Toronto in June, he offers leader-ship content and advice for businessowners and entrepreneurs.Sharma pays it forward by

helping children become leadersthrough The Robin Sharma Found -ation for Children. To be a leader,says Sharma, “being a good commu-nicator is significant, but not as sig-nificant as helping other people.”Robin Sharma will speak at

the Golden Gavel Dinner onAugust 19 at the ToastmastersInter national Convention in LasVegas, Nevada. Don’t miss youropportunity to learn from thisremarkable leadership expert. For Convention details and regis-tration information, please visittoastmasters.org/2011Convention. T

In his newest book, The LeaderWho Had No Title, Sharma encour-ages everyone to take responsibilityand show leadership. “Titles areimportant for structure and order, but real power does not come fromtitles,” he says. “It comes from bring-ing passion to the workplace bymaking each person realize his truepotential. We all have the power toshow leadership at work and in theworld. Because leadership reallycomes down to three things:Influence, impact and inspiration.”To motivate volunteers, Sharma

says, “Once volunteers are mentoredand reminded of the difference theymake, you don’t really need to moti-vate them. Their natural energy andpassion begins to take over.”The former lawyer delivers semi-

nars and keynotes around the worldand is known for his dynamicspeaking style. Sharma’s clientsinclude Microsoft, General Electric,NASA and IBM. He has been pro-filed by media outlets such as CNN,MSNBC and the Biography Channel.His 11 books, including The MonkWho Sold His Ferrari and TheGreatness Guide series, have beenpublished in more than 50 countriesand 70 languages. While a student, Sharma served

as a judicial law clerk to theSupreme Court of Nova Scotia.After earning two law degrees, heworked as a lawyer for theCanadian federal government andpublished scholarly articles. Hisinterest turned toward personaldevelopment when he left law toembark on a 10-year quest forknowledge, traveling around the

This summer, at the 2011International Convention in LasVegas, Nevada, Toast masters

International will honor Robin Sharmawith the prestigious Golden Gavelaward for his achievements as a lead-ership and management expert, authorand advisor to Fortune 500 CEOs. Theaward is given annually to an individ-ual distinguished in the fields of com-

munication andleadership.“Leadership

comes in manyforms. It isdependent onyour confidenceand ability to

communicate andrelate to others,” saysToast masters Inter nationalPresident Pat Johnson.“We selected RobinSharma as this year’sGolden Gavel recipientbecause his messages ofleadership resonate withthe world today – especial-ly his point that you don’tneed a title to be a leader.” Known for his insights

regarding self-improve-ment, Sharma is thefounder of Sharma Leader -ship International Inc., a global training firm thatassists people to “lead without a title.” Sharmasays the biggest misconcep-tion about leadership is thatit’s only for CEOs. “Realleadership is not aboutprestige, power or status. It is about responsibility.”

Announcing Toastmasters’ 2011 Golden Gavel Recipient:

Robin Sharma


POSTCARDS

Dewi Amsari ofDeli Toast mastersClub in Medan, NorthSumatra, Indonesia, visits Universal Stu-dios Singapore.

Robinson D’Souza of Bangalore Toast-masters club in Bangalore, Karnataka, India,visits Three Sisters rock formation in the Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia.

Gwyn E. Erskine, ofthe Beachsiders club in Vero Beach, Florida, visits the Leavenworthmountains in Seattle,Washington.

Leizyl Sobrinho of Stouffville Toastmastersin Ontario, Canada, visits Yosemite NationalPark in California.

Penny Cochranof 610 Talks Toast-masters in Chicago,Illinois, visits thePyramids of Giza in Egypt.

Jonathan Siegel of the Thornhill Clubin Thornhill, Ontario, Canada, skis atLake Louise in Alberta, Canada.

Carl Bergeron of Les OptimatesToastmasters, in Quebec, Canada, visits West Mitten Butte in NavajoCounty, Arizona.

Picture yourself here! Bring the Toastmaster magazine with you as you travel and pose with it in your exciting surroundings. Email the high-resolution image to [email protected]. Bon Voyage!

TheTraveling Toastmaster


Do you remember your first visit to a Toastmasters club and the

nervousness you felt? Did it begin at the door – or even earlier,

when you parked your car? Or did it start the week before, when

you told someone you would visit her club?

How to turn nervous club visitorsinto eager club members.By Craig Harrison, DTM

GuestsYou’ve Got


Considering how nervous you were then, isn’t it remarkablehow confident you feel now? We’ve all come a long way!

Karina Lawrence is a native of Russia who lives inOakland, California. When one of her business-schoolfriends at San Francisco’s Golden Gate University ravedabout Toastmasters, Karina decided to visit a local club.She felt nervous and apprehensive.

“Would I like them?” Lawrence remembers thinking.“Would they like me? Would they aggressively sell me onjoining?” Then she arrived at the meeting – and her anxi-eties were put to rest. “People were so nice – to me and toeach other – before, during and after the meeting,” Lawrencerecalls. “They cared and made it fun. People were profes-sional, yet warm.” Naturally, she joined the club!

Going From Fear to FunGuests visiting your club may feel the nervousness you long ago vanquished. The secret to allaying their anxieties?Turn their fear into fun. Your attentiveness toward guestscomforts and nourishes them. When you prepare for theirarrival, welcome them on entry, take the time to understandtheir needs and fears, you show them that you care. Thisthoughtful approach helps guests want to join your club.

Once the meeting starts and people are laughing,applauding and succeeding, your club sells itself. It’s a wonderful example of the law of attraction.

Did you realize the guests who come through your club’sdoors represent your club’s future? Aim to meet their needsand they’ll serve your club well. Together you’ll succeed.

Make Your Club Easy to AccessFor some people, finding your club, or even informationabout its meeting time and location, poses an obstacle. Isyour club listed accurately on the Toastmasters Internationalwebsite – with a current contact name and phone number,meeting day and time, and address? How about your owndistrict’s website? Are you listed with online community cal-endars of local newspapers? Are you using MeetUp.com,Craigslist.org or other websites and services to promoteyour club? Current information signals to guests that yours is a well-functioning club.

Literally as well as virtually, can your club be found?Is your banner displayed prominently? Do you displayany signs? Some community clubs can be more difficultto find because they meet within companies, withinbusiness parks or in meeting rooms at banks, churchesor shopping malls. Don’t frustrate visitors and providereasons for them to give up.

Enlist the help of security personnel, receptionists and concierges to route wayward guests to your meet-ing. Purchase signage from the Toastmasters online storeto help direct guests to the right place.

Helpful HintsEach club can designate a phone number for guests to call to get more information.

� Is yours a recording? � If you record an outgoing message on behalf of your

club, is your voice pleasant? Do you sound upbeatand friendly? Do you identify yourself clearly sostrangers know they’ve reached a club representative?

� Do you clearly enunciate when and where your clubmeets?

� Do you encourage callers to record their name andphone number, slowly, so someone can call them back?

� Do you share your club’s website clearly so people canfind more information about when and where you meet?

Reassuring callers is as important as imparting the who,what, where, when, why and how of your club’s meet-ings. Remember, people are nervous and likely uncertainof what Toastmasters is about. Your ability to paint a rosypicture makes visiting your club more inviting.

On Arrival - Badges, Banter and BuddiesWhen guests arrive it’s important to welcome them withopen arms. Officers in particular should be on the lookoutfor guests. As you approach them, wearing your badgeand demonstrating interest, guests relax and open up.

Their doubts about Toastmasters start to disappear. It’s a good idea to brief club members in advance about visitors you know are coming; that will make for a warmer welcome when they arrive.

Don’t underestimate the importance of casual banterwith guests before the meeting starts. Ask them howthey heard about the club, whether they’ve attended a meeting before and what they are looking for. Con gratulate them on their courage to visit.

Gently invite them to sign your guest register and to include a phone number or email for follow-up.

Introducing guests to others is both hospitable and helpful, since they might be nervous among people they don’t know. Remember, they’re in yourhouse! You are the host; it’s your duty to help guestsfeel welcome.

Accord visitors a seat of honor, and make sure a vet-eran sits next to them who can help make sense of theparade of participants, titles and roles. If you’re a“buddy” seated next to a guest, help them sift throughthe various sheets of paper in front of them: the agen-da, evaluation forms, voting slips and other items.

“Is your club listed accurately on

the Toastmasters International

website – with a current contact

name and phone number, meeting

day and time, and address?”


By Craig Harrison, DTM

Alert guests that they will be asked to introduce them-selves toward the beginning of the meeting, though they willbe under no obligation to speak otherwise. Most clubs willoffer guests two other opportunities to speak: during TableTopics and toward the end of the meeting, when they areasked to share their impressions of what they have seen.

If the guest has been invited by a club member, allowthat person to introduce them. Praise both the guest andmember – and offer some applause.

Sensitivity to GuestsWhen guests visit your club, be aware that they don’t knowhow a club meeting works. Each member, upon being intro-duced for a meeting role, should describe to guests how thatrole works and how it fits into the meeting. For instance, theTopicsmaster and timer should each explain their roles dur-ing the impromptu portion of the meeting, before initiatingthe Table Topics session. In addition, don’t call on guests to participate in Table Topics until they’ve seen severalresponses. That way, guests will be more familiar with, and thus confident in, responding to a topic when asked.

Mind Your MannersOne of the quickest ways to offend guests and scare them away is when members tell inappropriate jokes oruse offensive language. I’ve visited clubs where I got theimpression everyone in the club shared certain politicalbeliefs; this made me feel less than welcome. No clubshould be so politicized that people of any political leaningor religious belief (including non-believers) might feel self-conscious or out of place. Toastmasters should be open toall who are respectful, polite and supportive. The only loyalty oath required is the Toastmasters Promise!

Be a uniter, not a divider. Make your club inviting to all.

Provide MaterialsMany new clubs provide visitors with a sample Toast -master magazine, brochures, information on the historyof their club, a newcomer’s orientation sheet and otherdocuments that help guests understand club and districtmissions, meeting processes, club roles, educational pro-grams and even the district hierarchy. These tangible

Your club can benefit greatly by designating an expe-rienced member to be the “first contact” for guest

inquires. Bill Young serves in that role for LakeviewClub in Oakland, California. He shares his insights onhow to help guests enjoy the Toastmasters experience.

The Toastmaster: Bill, as the contact for club visitors,what are your goals when someone calls to inquireabout Toastmasters?

Bill Young: I introduce myself and ask a few initialquestions:

� What do you know about Toastmasters?� What would you like to know aboutToastmasters?

� What are your objectives for calling? What is motivating your interest in us?

� Have you ever been to a meeting before? If so,what were your impressions?

What about your style on the phone?I chat with them. Sometimes callers are nervous talking to a stranger. I try to relax them.

What else do you ascertain during this initial call?After giving them our meeting address, time and fre-quency, I ask if I can send them directions to our meet-ing room. If so, I collect their email address. Otherwise, I ask for their phone number so we can follow up.

I also make sure I have their full name and canpronounce it. In turn, I share with them particularinformation about our club – not just where andwhen it meets, but also the dress code, parking information and a bit about the demographic makeup of our members.

Do callers have pre-conceived notions of what will occur at a meeting?Some do. I let them know they’re under no pressure to speak at the meeting. They can simply observe.

Then what do you do?Once a guest has attended a meeting or two, or even joined, I’ll suggest we meet over coffee to orient them to the club, its members and what’savailable to them. I’ll provide them with some materials, such as the booklet A Toastmaster WearsMany Hats, to familiarize them with roles and responsibilities. I also suggest they watch the DVDWelcome to Toastmasters!

Why do you serve in this role?It is gratifying. You never know when people call ifthey’ll even show up to a meeting. Those who attend,and join, benefit greatly from the experience. It’s funto see them grow.

A Cordial Contact


materials may add to the guest experience and providevisitors a resource during and after the meeting.

Request FeedbackBefore the meeting ends, it’s important to ask guestsfor feedback. Giving them the option to reply, the club president can let visitors know how importantfeedback is for all Toastmasters. You can learn a lotabout the guest’s experience by their responses. Someare dazzled by meetings, others just dizzy. For some, it can be dull or drab; others experience meetings as dynamic. If they have questions, you can answerthem during the meeting or thereafter. Invite them toreturn to the next meeting, or – if they seem ready –invite them to join.

Toward the end of the meeting, as your club confirmsnext week’s assignments, you can ask guests if they’dlike to return to the next meeting and fulfill a modestrole such as delivering a closing or opening thought orjoke, or serving as timer. Either way, you are subtly set-ting an expectation that they will return.

Both publicly and privately, thank your guests forcoming. Encourage other officers and members to chatwith them, thank them for coming and invite them toreturn. And of course, invite them to join!

A follow-up phone call from a club leader after the meeting is often a nice touch and vital to makingguests feel welcome. During this call you can allayany new or lingering fears they may be harboring.Some members even meet for coffee or tea with a guest after their first meeting to seal the deal

Realistically, not every guest will or should join yourclub. Through no fault of your own, some guests aren’tready, or prefer a club meeting in a different location, at a different time of day or with a different feel, cultureor blend of members. Sometimes timing, cost or otherissues are at play. Don’t force it. It’s all about fit!

The good news: When you are inviting and hospitable,put on a good show, and listen and share, chances aregood that a significant number of guests will want to joinyour club. Simply put, these guests represent the future ofyour group. So remove the guessing from guest visits – welcome these people graciously and soon you’ll be voting them into your club!

Craig Harrison, DTM, is a professional speaker andmember of Lakeview Club in Oakland, Calif ornia. InJuly 1992, he was a guest of Lakeview Club – and hehas returned weekly ever since. For more informationabout Craig, visit SpeakAndLeadWithConfidence.com.

T


Susan Lawson, ACB, ALB, enjoys being a clubofficer and helping her fellow members.

Photo courtesy of Christine Lange, CC, CL

By Dee Dees, DTM, PID

Making the Most of Club Officer Roles

Three leadership opportunitiesat the heart of every club.

So, the leader is the boss, right?” I remember asking that questionas a youngster, playing the game

“follow the leader” for the first time. Ithad just been explained to me that Ihad to do everything the leader toldme to do. It sounded pretty much likemy Dad’s favorite expression: “BecauseI’m the boss and I said so!”I’ve long since learned that a leader

is not always a boss. In fact, a goodleader is part of the team, but he orshe also knows when to be a follower.In Toastmasters clubs – as in otherorganizations, corporations andeven countries – the president is theavowed leader, the person others lookto for guidance. But the other clubofficers are also leaders. They’re eitherleading a committee or the activitiesassociated with their office. For exam-ple, a vice president membership(VPM) leads membership campaigns.How these officers accomplish

their goals can make the differencebetween a well-run, fun club and adisorganized, struggling one. It canalso mean the difference betweenofficers enjoying their terms ... or justgetting through them.

In a previous article about clubleadership (“Congratulations! You’re a Leader!” March 2011), I looked atthe offices of president and vice pres-ident education. This article will focuson the vice president membership,vice president public relations (VPPR)and sergeant at arms (SAA); theseofficers work together to bring guestsinto the meeting, make them feelcomfortable and, ideally, help thembecome new club members.Members who are successful

in these roles use creative andresourceful thinking to make animpact. After all, innovation is ahallmark of a good leader!

Vice President Public RelationsThe VPPR officers are tasked withgenerating publicity about their clubsto help gain more members and create a favorable image of the Toast -masters program. They spread theword to nonmembers, organizationsand the media about the club’s existence, activities and successes.One of the most determined

VPPRs I have come across isDonoley Williams in Chicago,

Illinois. A Toastmaster for less thanthree years, he has already servedas VPPR, club president and areagovernor – and he is currently a division governor. Williams wasinstrumental in forming the MercerChicago Toastmasters club in May2009. When he took on the role ofVPPR, he thought big – really big! “I wanted to do something differ-

ent in terms of promoting the clubto attract more members,” he says. Williams contacted local govern-

ment officials and local sports figures,knowing that visits from individualsof this caliber would draw guests andpotential members. Realizing thesehigh profile individuals had busyschedules, he didn’t expect responsesany time soon. But letters and phonecalls came within a week. Manydeclined the invitation, but some –including Senator Dick Durbin fromIllinois – expressed interest in attend-ing a district event. And formerNational Football League playerNolan Harrison joined a club, viewingit as an opportunity for him and histwo daughters to learn from theToastmasters experience.

“


Williams is not afraid to ask forwhat he wants – he knows theworst that can happen is that he’llreceive a “no.” The “yeses” make itworth the effort, says Williams.

Daphne Gilman also blendscreativity and enthusiasm toimpact her club. She is the direc-tor of strategic alliances at BIO5Institute, a renowned scienceresearch center at the Universityof Arizona. In 2009 she foundedthe Women of Biosciences Toast -masters club at the university. “I knew how beneficial Toast -masters training had been for mycareer and wanted to offer thesame professional developmentopportunities to the research scientists affiliated with the BIO5Institute,” Gilman notes.

Currently the club’s VPPR, shegenerates interest in Toastmasterswith a variety of tactics. Gilman’sclub often has a booth at publicevents, and usually offers a raffleticket to people who sign up forToastmasters information. Theprize? A DVD of the AcademyAward-winning film The King’sSpeech. The movie demonstrateshow anyone – even someone with a speech impediment – canbecome an accomplished speaker.The movie prize was perfect formotivating individuals to improvetheir communication skills.

One of the best payoffs forGilman stemmed from a casualinvitation. When, at the lastminute, a fellow club officer hadto cancel attendance at aToastmasters Leader ship Instituteevent, Gilman spontaneously invit-ed a non-Toastmasters friend to gowith her, since the slot had beenpaid for. Her friend, AngelikaReiss, was so impressed that sheimmediately joined Daphne’s club.A few months later, Angelika wasinstrumental in starting the Uni -versity of Arizona Toastmastersclub, with a large charter member-ship of university employees.Sometimes just a thoughtful gesture is the best PR!

Vice President MembershipThe Vice President Membership(VPM) is responsible for buildingand maintaining a strong member-ship base. Jim Davis, DTM, came up with a fun idea to motivate hisfellow club members to bring newpeople into the group. A memberof four clubs in Arizona, Davisserved as VPM last year for hishome club, the Eye-openers, in thecity of Tucson. Showing an appetitefor creativity, he instituted the“Steak and Hamburgers” contest.The club was split into two teamsfor the month-long event: When amember successfully invited a guestto a club meeting, the person’s teamwon points; if an invited guesteventually joined the club, themember responsible earned evenmore points for the team.

At the end of the month, the clubheld a social function, and the teamwith the higher points was servedsteak ... by the team that lost. The latter team ate hamburgers.

Recently, Davis came up with anew twist: He encouraged his club to host individual contests, whereone member challenges another tosee who can bring in more membersin a month. At the end of the month,the one with more points is treatedto breakfast by the other member.

Sometimes your club’s reputationis its strongest selling point when itcomes to drawing new members.Davis, a Toastmaster for nearly 30years, says the Eye-openers typicallygets about 25 to 35 guests at clubmeetings during a year – and athird of those typically join the club.

“The thing that’s always workedbest for us is word of mouth,” he says.

Sergeant at ArmsThe sergeant at arms (SAA) isresponsible for maintaining clubproperties, arranging the meetingand welcoming members andguests at each meeting. AndrewHatch, SAA for the University ofArizona Catmasters Club, goes outof his way to make everyone feel as comfortable as possible.

“When someone new attends, Imake sure they will be interested inreturning,” he says. “I always greetevery person who walks in theroom. First-time attendees are prob-ably nervous and second-guessingwhether they should even be there.I was the same way.”

Hatch hands guests a ballot andexplains its use, so they’ll have anopportunity to participate in themeeting. He also makes sure guestsget a copy of the Toastmaster maga-zine, so they will have a better under-standing of what the organization isabout and what it can do for them.

“A little gift like that usuallyrelaxes people and also gives thema physical reminder,” he says. Themagazine prompts them to say,‘Hey, remember that Toastmastersthing? I should go to that.’”

“I believe sergeant at arms is themost important social role within aclub,” adds Hatch. “It’s their job tomake sure everyone has a goodtime, so I always try to be enthusi-astic and make meetings as muchfun as possible.”

He is indeed making an impact.Marcia Roberts, lt. governor market-ing for District 3, says of Hatch: “His enthusiasm is contagious!”

These three officers – vice president membership, vice president public relations andsergeant at arms – are all crucial to creating quality meetings,increasing membership and retain-ing members. Working together,the three can do much to build a strong, healthy club. And whenthey employ creative thinking intheir roles, they have more fun and contribute to the enjoyment of other club members.

Dee Dees, DTM, is a 30-year mem-ber of the Gilbert ToastmastersClub in Gilbert, Arizona, whoserved on the ToastmastersInternational Board of Directorsfrom 1994 to 1996. A Per sonalHistorian and author of two bookson life-writing, she can be reachedat [email protected].

T

FUNNY YOUSHOULD SAY THAT! By John Cadley

30 TOASTMASTER July 2011

through the things one does. Thepeace-as-verb version seems toassume that one has already attainedthe blissful state and is doing some-thing with it. Well, my son sleeps 14hours a day while I stay up all nightworrying about him sleeping 14hours a day. Maybe he is at peace.I’ve also heard my son refer

to something as “sick.” It doesn’tmean sick. It has nothing to do with health, diseased or otherwise.It means the opposite: cool, hip,with it. You’ll be pleased to knowthat as a parent you will never, everbe referred to as sick. Even whenyou really are sick the phrase ismore likely to be, “Hey Dad, ifyou’re gonna throw up all day, can I have the car?” Then there’s “mad sick,” which if I

understand correctly is sickness multi-plied. Caution: If you hear somethingreferred to as mad sick, it will proba-bly be very expensive, in which caseyou’ll either be mad that they’re ask-ing for it or sick because you boughtit. Things that are mad sweet or madcrazy are probably things you don’twant to know about, either.Things can also be “sketchy.”

My understanding of sketchy is a little, well, sketchy, but from what I can gather it implies a degree ofsuspicion regarding a person or situation. I like the word. It prettymuch sums up the way I feel aboutteenagers in general. But I can’t sayit. If you think your offspring regardyou as a Doddering Old Goat now,wait until you try to sound hip by appropriating one of their catch-phrases. The room will become

�When my editor asked me to writeabout intergenerational communica-tion, I said, “Oh, you mean youwant a column on oxymorons?” Ifyou have a teenager in the house,you know what I mean. (If youdon’t, I’d be happy to loan youmine. He comes with all his papersand shots and I can personally attestto his pedigree as a McDonald’s-fed,MTV-raised, purebred Americanteenager, with all the trademarkcharacteristics of the breed.) Communication means to impart

knowledge. When my teenager talksto me, no knowledge is imparted. “What did you do in school today?”“Not much.”This is what I’m paying school

taxes for. I’ll be spending even morewhen he goes to college. For what?A bachelor’s degree in Not Much.I realize my son does a good

many things in school. He just doesn’t want to tell me about them.Okay, I get it. I’m the authority figure he is programmed to resist. I know he communicates with hisfriends. I overhear them. Forinstance, my son doesn’t say “good-bye” when parting with his peers.He says, “Peace out.” What doesthat mean? Peace is a noun, not averb. I’m assuming it has somethingto do with maintaining a state oftranquility, but then why the “out”?Is it like “bliss out,” which in mygeneration meant living in a com-mune with a guru who was actuallya disbarred attorney from Sandusky,Ohio, wanted in 14 states for taxevasion? In my peace-as-nounworld, one seeks the condition

silent. You will feel stares of con-tempt burning into your flesh likesurgical lasers. And you will knowbeyond a shadow of a doubt thatyou have just become the MostUncool Carbon-Based Life Form in the Known Universe.And finally, there’s “dude.” Boys

are “dude,” girls are “dude” and,saints preserve us, Dads are “dude.”I remember the first time it hap-pened. My son was 14 and we were in the car. Directing me to his friend’s house, he said, “Dude,turn here.”“Excuse me?”“Turn here.”“No, the first part. Did you say

‘dude’ or ‘dad’?”“Why?”I then proceeded to tell him why:

“When you call me dude you areputting me on an equal footing withyour friends. That would mean thatI have no authority over you. Restassured, that is not the case. I feedyou, clothe you, educate you andhouse you. I have 60 years of lifeexperience and you have a 14-year-old brain driven by hormonalsurges, primitive impulses andunbridled self-interest. You needguidance, authority and boundaries,and I am here to provide them.That’s what Dads do, not dudes.Understood?”My son looked at me and said,

“Dad, I was just giving directions. Imean, dude . . . chill.”

John Cadley is an advertising copy-writer in Syracuse, New York. Reachhim at [email protected].

T

Peace Out, Dude

What does yourteen mean?

Toastmasters International

Convention 2011is Coming Soon

Register Now!

See you in Las Vegas!

Early-bird registration ends July 15, so make your plans today! To register, view the schedule of events andlearn more, go to www.toastmasters.org/InternationalConvention.

August 17-20, 2011Bally’s Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada

TOASTMASTERSINTERNATIONAL®

Discover what everyone’s talking about! Each year, nearly 2,000 Toastmasters travel to the International Convention to learn, share and grow.

If you haven’t yet attended a Toastmasters Convention,make this the year you discover what you’ve beenmissing. Convention 2011 will be bigger and better than ever. Here’s what you can expect:

Opening Ceremonies and keynote

Twelve communication and leadership skill-building sessions to help you grow personally and professionally

Nine International Speech Contest Semifinals

Hall of Fame Ceremony

Golden Gavel Dinner

World Championship of Public Speaking

President’s Dinner Dance

Networking with Toastmasters from all over the world

7 July 2011

Documents

Transcript of 7 July 2011